For the sake of the planet, rethink cleanup of yard and garden

There are estimated to be about a million species of insects in the world. Less than 3% are considered to be harmful to people and plants. An overwhelming 97% are either not a problem or would be regarded as beneficial.

They are valued as either decomposers or pollinators and are a vital part of the food chain.

Gardeners once spent time focusing on the 3%, worried about something attacking our plants. Now we understand the value of the insects and the role they play in our environment. Recent reports show a decline in the number of important native insects. We all should care about protecting these insects that are necessary to pollinate about a third of all the food we eat.

Doing our part to reverse this trend begins in our own backyard. We must rethink how we clean up the garden in the fall. Many of our native insects, bees, butterflies and spiders depend on debris to provide protection for winter survival.

Old recommendations were to clean up the garden in the fall, removing the debris to reduce insect and disease problems in the coming season. This recommendation was based on the small percentage of bad guys and did not take into consideration the vast number of good guys also hiding in debris.

The recommendation now is to leave most of the old stalks, stems, spent flowers and wind-blown leaves in place over winter. This once considered waste material is home to many beneficial insects needed to make the garden flourish come spring. While they are out of sight to the naked eye, that does not mean they are absent.

Overwintering stages of insects include the eggs, larvae or caterpillars, and the adult stages. They lie dormant, waiting for spring conditions to arrive. The overwintering stages cling to stems, burrow into hollow stems, tuck into spent flowers or snuggle down into the leaf litter, protected from the harsh winter conditions. Removing this material in the fall destroys them, reducing the population for the coming year.

Limit fall clean up to heavily diseased plants. Pretty much everything else should be left alone. So when is a safe time to clean the garden come spring? Research indicates that spring clean up should begin after consistent temperatures reach 50 degrees. At that time, most beneficials have emerged from the overwintering stage.

Rethink your methods of spring cleanup. Instead of chopping, shredding, composting or bagging yard waste, the best recommendation is to loosely pile the debris. This allows late-emerging insects to survive and is used as nesting materials for the next generation.

Waiting to clean up the garden could appear a little messy, but this is the beauty of nature. Tucking the plant debris in an inconspicuous spot will go a long way in helping our dwindling insect population make a comeback.

Dennis Patton is a horticulture agent with Kansas State University Research and Extension. Got a question for him or other university extension experts? Email them to garden.help@jocogov.org.

This story was originally published November 14, 2019 at 12:00 AM.